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Friday, April 29, 2011

Royal Wedding Menu Australian style and a White Jacket Rant

Like most of the planet it would seem I will be watching the Royal Wedding tonight.

The Wedding will be telecast in the evening here which makes it ideal timing to watch with an English style meal. I have been a bit slack and instead of inventing dishes or looking through cookbooks, I just trawled the Internet for some Royal Wedding inspired dishes which are not too hard to cook.

First up is a chilled cucumber soup with garlic prawns, in a nod to the very English tradition of cucumber sandwiches. It is not exactly the weather here for cold soup, but needs must.

To me there is nothing more English than lamb and peas. Which suits me because it is also a quintessentially Australian dish. I have been eating lots of lamb lately in a probably forlorn attempt to boost my red blood cells. My favourite way to have lamb is as cutlets or possibly a rib eye. To go with this, the pea dish below, possibly some asparagus (also very English) and some boiled new potatoes with lots of butter and Malden salt.

This is a dish of peas, mint and salted yogurt (which can be substituted with goats cheese).

Dessert is a bit tricky. I have found a lovely recipe by naughty Sophie Dahl for rice pudding with plum compote but I fear rice pudding may just be a bit English boarding school. Perhaps summer pudding with lots of beautiful berries would be better. I think the most traditional dessert would be Eton Mess but I am not in the meringue making mode today.

Finally, to drink. I don't drink spirits but this is my metaphorical tipple today - elderflower and gin sherbert.

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Julia Gillard, the Australian Prime Minister, is invited to the wedding. Ms Gillard is very very fond of distracting, unflattering, flappy white jackets. It may seem to a casual observer that she just wears the same one all the time, but in fact she has 9 (yes 9) different ones. Here are two of them. I think that sometime in the past someone told her she looks great in that white jacket, and she has taken the message to heart.

So my message is: Please do not wear a white jacket to the Royal Wedding. Please. It seems that this issue is of major concern to many bloggers, perhaps we need to get a life?! See Mrs Woog's take on it here.

And before I am accused of being sexist for commenting on a female politician's clothes when I wouldn't on a man's clothes, let me say this: any professional person should dress in a way which does not distract from the message they are delivering. That applies in all spheres. Yes, it is easy for men to wear suits, but it is equally easy for women to wear simply stylish non distracting clothes which fit (case in point: Senator Penny Wong). I am not criticising our PM's taste (although it is dubious), I am criticising the way her clothes don't fit her, and distract from what she does. And if a male PM wore bell bottoms, a brown suit and a plaid tie with a mullet haircut (which I think is the male equivalent of some of Ms Gillard's outfits), then that person would be equally criticised.

Ha ha - there is a column in the AFR today which says that the Government has two major issues facing them - treatment of asylum seekers and Tim Matheson's waving at the crowds when he gets off planes etc !! You could be in a focus group!

Oh my I had to chuckle when I read about poor old Julia! That first jacket fits so badly! I heard that Gaye Waterhouse was commenting about Julia's fashion sense or lack thereof the other day too. Maybe she should call up Mrs Obama and ask for some suggestions?

Menu looks scrumptious Jane. Yes, I have noticed a tad too many white jackets for my liking. With the world at her feet... "c'mon PM". She has the most beautiful skin, so many colours would complement it. A-M xx

Dear Lady Olive Snuggles-Wallace the Third - excellent Royal Wedding menu happening here. Although here at The Hedge it's left-over Beef Rendang from Wed. night heated up in the Royal microwave. I want nothing to disturb my Royal Nuptials viewing.Millie xP.S. Yep I reckon Joolia looks like a waiter on the Indian Pacific. Flick those white jackets pronto Jools.

Well forget William and Catherine...all eyes will now be on the PM and her hopefully NOT white jacket!! My goodness, she must have too many yes-men or ladies about her...time for an intervention!Your British meal sounds absolutely perfect! Love the soupy cucumber sandwich and the peas...not a huge lamb fan but you make it sound tasty!Enjoy Jane...and remember to wear something sparkly!xo J~

What a well-said rant! Hello there and greetings from the UK! Royal wedding fever has gripped the nation and I think it's lovely that everyone else in other countries are embracing it too! Fab British menu...enjoy! On the white jacket front - I will be looking out to see now! But I agree, the jacket is all you see - and then the hair! Lou x

I love Millies comments and agree that Joolia may need to seek some professional fashion designer help. Love the menu too Jane, we are trying out our new slow cooker this evening with a lamb red wine casserole... Eight hours and counting, the house smells great! ;-)

Oh i love this post & sorry, but you'll now know that yes, she did wear a white jacket to the wedding, ok, a cream one, good grief, does that make 10 of them now?? What a disaster she is. Not sure how the blue hat matched the black skirt though, she has zero clue & yes, look at how John Howard dressed - a blue tie showing status & victory, custom suits, & he was no movie star, he wasn't even tall, yet he looked like a leader. Love Posie

Jane I wish I had been at your dining table for a royal feast. I would even love a rice pudding. We had to be up @4a.m. to catch the first people walking into Westminster Abbey. But it was so worth every minute lost of sleep. Truly a day made of dreams. Ms. Gillard's first jacket was sadly incredibly small. Now I'm tempted to google to see what she ended up wearing! Hope you had a perfect evening. xx Deb

I think the point is that Ms G should wear clothes that we don't even notice because they are elegant and well fitted. That won't stop her from making inane remarks at Congress though. At least she didn't wear one of the white jackets to the wedding....what did Dame Edna call it? Oyster?? So glad you are loving lamb at the moment....keep it up!

Love your Blog and as I used to work in Oncology I think your descriptions of Chemo/side effect should be in a printed handout for all patients to read-so simple and easily understood- if you are having Rx at P Mac( I trained there many moons ago) I am sure they would be most interested.

As for Julia-surely there is a Stylist game enough to tackle the problem.Her Wedding outfit was OK(sleeves did not fit properly) but the Flying Saucer complete with Antennae was frightful.Hope you are keeping on top of the side effects and getting through this ghastly year for you and your sweet familyCarolyn Pennington

Hi Jane,You are soo right about Julia's jackets, they are woeful. And what about the botox? I reckon shs hasn't moved a facial muscle in 2 years.I am not anti Julia, I just think the lack of style lets her down.Love your blog, which I have just found-you are a wonderful writer and I admire your style tremendously!Renie xx

Ms. G chose two Australian designers, why two......I thought Carla Zampatti whose skirt and cami she wore could have designed a brillant jacket for her.Glad to read you have some appetite back, stay well.x Lesley

Well, ok, that first jacket really is ill-fitting. Ick. I do, however, think it's fantastic that you have a female prime minister! It's a long way from happening here, in Canada.By the way, I saw Ms. Gillard arriving at the church (on tv of course). I don't think she was wearing white, was she?Love your Royal post!